Device for indicating location of cup on golf green



March 15, 1966 J. H. WALTER ETAL 3,240,133

DEVICE FOR INDICATING LOCATION OF CUP ON GOLF GREEN Filed Dec. 50. 1960 INVENTORS I BY United States Patent '0 3,240,183 DEVICE FOR INDICATING LOCATION OF CUP N GOLF GREEN John H. Walter, P.(). Box 93, and Lloyd H. Megahee, 336 W. Jackson St., both of Thomasville, Ga. Filed Dec. 30, 1960, Ser. No. 79,659 .6 Claims. (Cl. 116173) This invention relates generally to a device for visually indicating the position of a cup or hole on a golf green and, more particularly, to a golf-hole fiagstaff or pin provided with means for visually indicating to an approaching golfer the relative position of the cup between the front and rear edges of the green.

Conventional golf-hole fiagstaffs serve the purpose of identifying the location of the green itself on the course and also can indicate to an approaching golfer the relative position of the cup between the side edges of the green. In most instances, however, when the golfer is on the tee or the fairway, he cannot see the green with a high enough perspective to be able to tell whether the flagstaff is projecting from the cup adjacent the forward edge of the green, adjacent the rear edge, or in the middle. Even when the golfer is familiar with the course, he must determine this information for every approach shot, as the cups are frequently moved to different positions on the green to prevent uneven wear and tear of the turf. Accordingly, he or his caddy must either seek a high enough vantage point to be able to determine the position of the cup, or else must walk to the green for this information. If such information is ascertained by the golfer himself then he must walk back to his ball.

It is, therefore, a primary object of the present invention to provide a novel golf-hole flagstaff with clearly visible means serving to indicate to the approaching golfer the relative position of the cup between the front and rear edges of the green.

Another object of the invention is to provide indicating means of the type referred to above, which may be used with conventional golf-hole fiagstaffs and which will not, in any way, interfere with the normal playing of the game.

A further object is to provide an indicating device of the type referred to which can be readily read and understood, and which is relatively simple and inexpensive in construction and use.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following description, when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating in full lines an indicating device incorporating the principles of the present invention at one location and in a corresponding position of adjustment, and also illustrating in phantom lines the same device in two other locations and their corresponding positions of adjustment;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary side elevation of the indicating device;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view, partly broken away taken on the line 3-3 of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 4 is a sectional view generally similar to that of FIG. 3, showing here a modified form of the indicating device of FIGS. 1 through 3.

Referring now in more detail to the drawings, the device, generally indicated by the numeral 1, is mounted on a conventional golf hole fiagstaif 2, the lower end of which is adapted to be received in a conventional cup 3 mounted in golf green 4. The fiagstaif 2 includes a conventional flag 5, indicating, by a numeral 6, the number of the hole, in this case, the first hole.

The indicating device 1 includes a cylindrical sleeve 7 telescopically received on fiagstaff 2 for vertical adjustment with respect thereto. The sleeve 7 may be formed ice of any suitable material such as transparent plastic and is provided with a vivid color so that it will be clearly visible to an approaching golfer at distances up to yards or more. In the present instance, a fluorescent paint is provided on the inner wall of the sleeve as in dicated in FIG. 2, so that it is readily apparent through the sleeve 7 but is not directly exposed to the weather. In the embodiment of FIG. 2, the sleeve terminates at its upper and lower ends in enlarged integral collar portions 8, at least one of which is provided with a threaded opening 9. A set screw 10, which may be of the Allenhead type, is received in the threaded opening 9 with its inner end adapted to bear against the adjacent surface of fiagstaff 2 to hold the sleeve in a selected position of vertical adjustment thereon.

In the position of adjustment indicated in full lines in FIG. 1, the cup 3 is approximately midway between the forward and rear edges of the green, and sleeve 7 is therefore positioned approximately midway along the height of the flagstaff 2 to indicate this fact.

In the position of adjustment illustrated in phantom lines and generally indicated by the numeral 11, the cup 13 is at the forward edge of green 4, and the sleeve 17 has accordingly been shown lowered to the bottom of flagstaff 12 and secured in position by set screw 20. Similarly, in the position of adjustment indicated by the numeral 21, the sleeve 27 has been shown secured in position at the top of flagstaff 22 to indicate that the cup 23 is adjacent the rear edge of the green.

Another embodiment of the invention is disclosed in FIG. 4. In this form the sleeve 7 may be of the same thin, transparent plastic material but the collar members S are not formed integrally therewith. Collar members 8' may be formed of any suitable plastic or metal and include opposed annular grooves 9 adapted to receive the upper and lower edges respectively of the sleeve 7'. The collars 8 are permanently mounted in this manner on the sleeve 7 and may be secured in position as by cement 6. In this particular example, the head of set screw 10' is provided with a pair of small openings 11' so that a special key must be employed to release the device for movement along the flagstaiI 2'. This feature further prevents the possibility of tampering.

We claim:

1. In a device for use with a golf-ball flagstaif, a sleeve member adapted to be telescopically received on said fiagstaff, said sleeve member including a thin, transparent cylindrical body portion having coloring means applied on the inner wall thereof, said body portion terminating at one end thereof in an enlarged collar member, and locking means mounted on said collar member for engagement with said fiagstalf, whereby said sleeve is selectively positioned along the height of said flagstalf.

Z. A device for use with a golf hole flagstaif, comprising: a sleeve adapted to be telescopically received on said flagstaif, said sleeve having a cylindrical body with which vivid coloring means has been associated to render it visible from a substantial distance; a collar located at each end of said body, each collar having an annular groove with one end of the body received in the groove; and locking means carried by at least one of said collars for engaging said fiagstaff, whereby said sleeve may be selectively locked on said flagstaif at any point above a golf ball cup.

3. A device for visually indicating the position of a cup on a golf green, comprising: a flagstaff member having an upper end and a lower end and adapted to carry hole-identifying means at its upper end and to have its lower end received in said cup; an indicating member slidably mounted on said flagstaff member for vertical movement therealong between said upper and lower ends, said indicating member comprising a sleeve including a cylindrical body with which vivid coloring means has been associated to render it visible from a substantial distance, said body having a relatively thick collar at one end thereof; and locking means carried by said collar securing said indicating member in a predetermined position of vertical adjustment on said flagstaff member corresponding to a given location of the cup between the front and rear edges of the green.

4. A device for visually indicating the position of a cup on a golf green, comprising: a fiagstalf member having an upper end and lower end and adapted to carry hole-identifying means at its upper end and to have its lower end received in said cup; an indicating member slidably mounted on said flagstaff member for vertical movement therealong between said upper and lower ends, said indicating member comprising a sleeve including a transparent cylindrical body portion having vivid coloring means applied on the inner wall thereof to render it visible from a substantial distance, said body having a relatively thick collar at one end thereof; and locking means carried by said collar securing said indicating member in a predetermined position of vertical adjustment on said flagstafi member corresponding to a given location of the cup between the front and rear edges of the green.

5. A device for visually indicating the position of a cup on a golf green, comprising: a flagstafi member having an upper end and a lower end and adapted to carry hole-identifying means at its upper end and to have its lower end received in said cup; an indicating member slidably mounted on said flagstaff member for vertical movement therealong between said upper and lower ends, said indicating member comprising a sleeve including a cylindrical body of such size as to be visible from a substantial distance and locking means carried by said cylindrical body to lock said body in a predetermined position of vertical adjustment on said fiagstaff member corresponding to a given location of the cup between the front and rear edges of the green.

6. A device for visually indicating the position of a cup on a golf green, comprising: a fiagstaff member having an upper end and a lower end and adatped to carry hole-identifying means at its upper end and to have its lower end received in said cup; an indicating member slidably mounted on said flagstaff member for vertical movement therealon'g between said upper and lower ends, said indicating member comprising a sleeve including a cylindrical body of such size as to be visible from a substantial distance; and means locking said cylindrical body in a predetermined position of vertical adjustment on said flagstafi member.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 631,161 8/1899 Froehlich 1l6173 663,761 12/1900 Johnson 27334 2,660,822 12/1953 Hargus 116ll4 2,699,140 1/1955 Fisher 1l6173 LOUIS I. CAPOZI, Primary Examiner.

E. E. FULLER, Examiner.

C. W. ROBINSON, S. F. RAIZES, Assistant Examiners. 

1. IN A DEVICE FOR USE WITH GOLF-BALL FLAGSTAFF, A SLEEVE MEMBER ADAPTED TO BE TELESCOPICALLY RECEIVED ON SAID FLAGSTAFF, SAID SLEEVE MEMBER INCLUDING A THIN, TRANSPARENT CYLINDRICAL BODY PORTION HAVING COLORING MEANS APPLIED ON THE INNER WALL THEREOF, SAID BODY PORTION TERMINATING AT ONE END THEREOF IN AN ENLARGED COLLAR MEMBER, AND LOCKING MEANS MOUNTED ON SAID COLLAR MEMBER FOR ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID FLAGSAFF, WHEREBY SAID SLEEVE IS SELECTIVELY POSITIONED ALONG THE HEIGHT OF SAID FLAGSTAFF. 